Mike Thomson is a Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 member of the Missouri House of Representatives

Missouri House of Representatives

The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 31,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections held in even-numbered years.In 1992 Missouri...

. Thomson represents the 4th District, encompassing all or portions of Atchison

Atchison County, Missouri

Atchison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2010, the population was 5,685. Its county seat is Rock Port. The county was organized in 1845 and named for David Rice Atchison, U.S...

, Holt

Holt County, Missouri

Holt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. The county is in the northwest part of the state. As of 2010, the population was 4,912. Its county seat is Oregon. The county was organized in 1841 and is named after the Missouri state legislator Dr...

, Nodaway

Nodaway County, Missouri

Nodaway County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. The county was organized in 1845 and named for the Nodaway River.As of 2010, the population was 23,370...

, and Worth counties in northwest Missouri.

Personal history

Michael D. Thomson was born in St. Joseph, Missouri and raised in Craig, Missouri

Craig, Missouri

Craig is a city in Holt County, Missouri, United States. The population was 309 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Craig is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....

, a small community in Holt

Holt County, Missouri

Holt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. The county is in the northwest part of the state. As of 2010, the population was 4,912. Its county seat is Oregon. The county was organized in 1841 and is named after the Missouri state legislator Dr...

 County. After graduation from Craig High School in 1964, he attended Northwest Missouri State University

Northwest Missouri State University

Northwest Missouri State University is a state university in Maryville, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as a teachers college, it offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. The campus, based on the design for Forest Park at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, is the official Missouri State Arboretum....

, earning a Bachelors degree in 1968, and a Masters degree in 1971. Thomson was an educator by profession before entering politics, first at Jefferson High School in Conception Junction, Missouri

Conception Junction, Missouri

Conception Junction is a city in Nodaway County, Missouri, United States, near the Platte River. The population was 202 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a town.-Geography:...

 where he was a teacher, counselor and coach for a dozen years, then a further eighteen years at Maryville High School. Mike Thomson returned to his alma mater in 1998 to serve as an instructor and administrator.
Thomson and his wife Nancy are the parents of two grown daughters. They attend Laura Street Baptist Church in Maryville. He is a member of the Missouri Teachers Association, Missouri Retired Teachers Association, and the Maryville Optimist Club.

Political history

Mike Thomson first ran for 4th District State Representative in 2006, defeating Democrat Richard R. Oswald for the right to succeed Brad Lager

Brad Lager

Brad Ronald Lager is a small business owner and a Republican politician from the state of Missouri. He is a current member of the Missouri State Senate from the 12th District as well as a former member of the Missouri House of Representatives...

. In 2008 Thomson again faced off with Oswald and remained victorious. Mike Thomson defeated Skidmore, Missouri

Skidmore, Missouri

Skidmore is a city in Nodaway County, Missouri, United States. The population was 342 at the 2000 census. The small farming community which has a yearly "Punkin' Show", has made international headlines with high profile murders....

farmer Robert L. Ritterbusch in 2010 to win his third term in the Missouri House. By law he is allowed to run for a fourth and final two-year term in 2012.

Legislative assignments

Representative Thomson serves on the following committees during the 96th General Assembly:

• Chairman, Appropriations-Education subcommittee
• Vice-Chair, Higher Education
• Elementary and Secondary Education
• Joint Committee on Education
• Budget Committee